Froth on Brewski’s new drink-in bottle shop My Beer Dealer

Matt Emmerson and Antoinette Pollock of famed craft-beer boozer Brewski have been hard at work over the past few months giving their beloved Caxton Street hideaway a new lease on life. After expanding its seating and function capabilities, the duo have today delivered on their promise of a drink-in bottle shop offering an overwhelming selection of the world’s best brews. My Beer Dealer is the apotheosis of Matt and Antoinette’s vision for Brewski – an oasis of boozy delights curated by the minds of those that live and breathe craft beer.

Since opening on Caxton Street in 2013, Brewski has enmeshed itself thoroughly within Brisbane’s craft-beer scene, earning notoriety as one of the go-to bars to cop a taste of boutique frothies from around the globe. After five years of stellar service, owners Matt Emmerson and Antoinette Pollock looked to spruce up the bar, adding on a rear drinking area and downstairs function space back in August. During the planning and execution of the bar’s expansion to two levels, Matt and Ant unearthed an old stable built into the building’s 120-year-old foundations. The duo decided that the space would be ideal for an on-site bottle shop, and after some serious excavations (and a hugely successful crowd-funding campaign) they had hewn enough room into the earth to accommodate their unconventional idea – a European-inspired drink-in bottle shop called My Beer Dealer, catering to craft-beer novices and aficionados alike.

Despite being modest in size, My Beer Dealer’s selection is anything but. The shop’s fridges are stacked with Matt and Antoinette’s handpicked selections – we’re talking more than 450 of the best beers, divided by country. While My Beer Dealer thoroughly reps the local and Australian labels like Balter Brewing, Revel Brewing Co., Ballistic Beer Co. and Newstead Brewing Co., one can also spot curious brews from further abroad. Ales from Danish microbrewery To Øl, Detroit outfit Jolly Pumpkin, Alaska’s Anchorage Brewing Company, Sweden’s Brekeriet and New Zealand’s 8 Wired Brewing feature on the shelves alongside other international names. Each tin and bottle can be purchased and sampled on site (at the bar or in the newly installed courtyard), but you can also mix and match your favourites to take away. Ten taps pour a combination of local beers and rare drops exclusive to the bar on a rotating basis. Punters can fill up a growler or squealer with their drop of choice to take home, or opt for the canned option – an on-site canning machine ensures any time can be tinnie time. Rounding out the selection is a curated edit of minimum-intervention wines, boutique spirits and beery merchandise.

My Beer Dealer is open from today, Friday October 19. Get all the extra details in the Stumble Guide.

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